Special Needs Cat

Do something selfish and adopt a special needs cat from a shelter that is about to be euthanized (actually killed) because no one wants to re-home him or her.

What do I mean by being selfish? Surely when someone adopts a cat that has special needs it is an act of altruism? It is a gift of life to a cat that few people want.

Binnie

I think that is wrong. There is a special reward for the person adopting a special needs cat. There is the joy in knowing that you are doing something good. There is the pleasure that you are doing something few other people do; making you special. And there is the satisfaction in knowing that you have probably saved a cat's life. It doesn't get better for a cat caretaker.

I am not particularly altruistic but I happen to care for two special needs cats. They were, in a way, foisted on me - I had no choice.

My old lady cat, Binnie, I rescued from the street about 19 years ago and she must has been about one year old or more then. She is deaf and a bit senile. A lot senile, maybe. You can't really tell. She needs me and she comes to me for cuddles and contact. I love giving it to her as it is good for me as well.

Charlie

My boy cat, Charlie, has three legs. I took him on when my mother died over a year ago. His missing leg is the front-right. I think a missing front leg is harder for a cat than a missing hind leg.

Cindy Sakiyama, writing in the Cat Fancy magazine, adopted a Siamese mix with cerebral ataxia (the cat will move in an uncoordinated manner) from a shelter that was probably planning to kill the cat. She says she loves him. She loves his "goofy face". You can get a fantastic bond with a special needs cat that goes beyond the ordinary.

Please adopt a special needs cat. Walk into the cat shelter and ask for the most unpopular cat or if they have one, a cat with special needs.

He or she will look up at you with soft, pleading eyes and you will not, no way, be able to say no. It will be a selfish act when you adopt as you will get more from the relationship than the cat.



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